Gun



Apr. 3, 1923. 1 1- C. A. F.`MAZE, DIT DElLAMARE-MAZE l' GUN Filed Mar. 24,' 1921 Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES ALPHONSE FRANQOIS MAZE DIT DELAMARE MAZE, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

GUN.

Application led March 24, .1921.

T o all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES ALPHONSE FRANoIs MAZE dit DELAMARE Mxzn, citizen of the French Republic, residing at Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guns (for which I have filed an application in France, Aug. 26, 1918), of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to the construction of guns and has for its principal object so to construct such guns that their utility from a ballistic point of view is greater than has hitherto been the case.

In the specification of a previous application which I filed in U. S. A. under S. N. 261,547 the 7th November 1918, I describe means for the propulsion of projectiles wherein both the impact and velocity of the fluid as well as its pressure are utilized fordischarging the projectile. v In my former aforesaid specification, the applications of the novel principle discovered by me were more particularly those concerned with the construction of projectiles,

whilst the present invention refers more particularly to guns.

According to my present invention the cannon or gun comprises an explosion or 3.0 combustion chamber, a nozzle between the said chamber and the bore of the gun and means for enabling the gases of explosion: to escape to the outer atmosphere through; apertures in the wall of the gun, or aroundV the projectile, to the rear part of the gun,

before the said projectile has left its position of rest.

With the foregoing construction, the gases are enabled to expand powerfully before 4 they operate upon the projectile, thus allowing greater velocity and eiiiciency to be ob-l tained than has hitherto been the case.

I will. now proceed to describe, by way' of example and with reference to the accom-y Y a is the cannon, formed from metal in anym Serial No. 455,169.

appropriate manner and furnished with a chamber a0, preferably cylindrical inthe interior and having walls of appropriate thickness to suit requirements.

Opening from the chamber a is a nozzle shaped tube a1, the walls of which first converge and then diverge as will be seen.

Around the wall ofthe nozzle al, I provide, as shown at Fig. 1, an annular chamber a3, which is preferably vof nozzle shape,

wideningtowards the rear and commencing ber a through a suitable opening'which is closed by a block a2, whilstY theprojectile b may be introduced through the muzzle, so that it rests in front of the chamber a.

The gases -of combustionwhich are liberated 1n the Achamber aio escape through the nozzle, which they traversev at a determined velocity, which velocity is a function of the temperature of combustion of the power. The gases then expand in the diverging portion of the nozzle, acquiring greater and greater velocity, which is a function of the length of the nozzle and depends upon the relation of the sectional area at the opening of the nozzle and ofthe throat. The gases then strike against the central portion of the base of the projectile b'with very high velocity. Then, turning backwards and still expanding they'continue to exert pressure by reaction on the other portions of the base of the projectilethus exerting ytheir total pressure upon the' base; which is preferably of about double the sectional area of the opening of the nozzle, but in certain cases'maybe equal and even smaller than the opening of the nozzle. Finally, the gasesA esca-pe freely and expand to atmospheric pressure in a backward direction. y

n It'will thus be understood that the said gases no longer operate upon the base, of the projectile merely by direct pressure as is the case with an ordinary cannon, but'principally through their active power: in other words, the force exerted is a function of the mass and the velocity, in addition to the static pressure.

rlhe advantages as compared with ordinary vcannon are'very great, as even with the longest which have been constructed, the expansion can never be complete, and only a comparatively small benefit is derived from the expansion from the time of tiring until the projectile leaves the muzzle of the gun or cannon. j

lVith a gun constructed as described` the gases operate on the projectile with less pressure but with greater velocity than in the caseoi anordinary gun. rl`he eifect is less violent but` more prolonged, and this enables the walls ,of the ygun and the base of the projectile to be made of less thickness than -isfthe kcase with a cannon of ordinary construction, the shock or impact at firing being weaker than 4is usually the case. j

It is also to vbe remembered, that, by

`reason of the escape'of the gases into the air in a backward direction given the same projectile and the same range, the recoil of the cannon is lessened and may be decreased at will 'by increasing the surface of the mouthof the nozzle untila state of absolute equilibrium is obtained. In this case more powder is necessary than `with the ordinary gun but the lessening or" the recoil is a con sequence of the principle of this gun.

The projectile 7) may be guided during its translation lby the walls of the tube t3 of the cannon, 'or by bands provided on the pro Yjectile.

In some cases, where it is found that the gases do not escape quickly enough through the single nozzle or series of nozzles and that `they accumulatey in the cannon in rear of the'projectile, the result of which may be to interfere .with the discharge, it may in some cases be of advantage to provide a plurality of nozzles @3 preferably disposed at equal distances from one another `over the length of the tube a3 of the cannon. 'In this way, the `gases will have sufficient means of exit to 'enable them to escape and expand and will `not be liable to accumulate, and the expansion can take place under normal conditions.

In a modified construction, I may suppress i the f-n'ozzle opening to the voutside through thek walls oi the cannon, which have been recently described, and .provide in their place 'annular stages or ranges of chambers a,

l as shown at Fig. 2. These are formed in the vthickness of the tube a?, and are provided to any suitable number. They open .to the interior of the tube and are shaped -in a kmanner analogous to the` varies of. a

turbine, .so thatthe gases driven backwards -fromjgthe base .of thevv projectile pass into the chambers and are turned back and sent .for-

ward. The projectile is of the ordinary shape, but the body thereof is of smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the tube a3, so that the gases can pass around the same towards the muzzle. The base has an exterior diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the tube a3.

In two parallel planes, parallel to one another by preference, I provide integral with the periphery of the projectile projecting shoulders Y# and f, extending circumferentially around the same. One of these shoulders b4 is in the neighbourhood ot the base, and the other 225 at a distance from the iii-st equal to about the opening Of one or' the chambers measured in the longitudinal direction. The rst projecting shoulder Z2* is preferably constituted by a thickened portion of the base projecting beyond the projectile.

in addition, I furnish the projectile with a.' tubular tail 5G oi kthe same exterior diameter as thebase, and of relatively short length. This tube is so constructed that it narrows internally towards the front, so

that the gases strike against the centre of adapted to direct the gases towards the rear walls of the chambers at.

lVith this construction4 again, the, gases act on the base of the projectile, which latter is guided by its shoulders and its tail coming into Contact with the walls` separating the chambers at. The gases enter the` chambers in the first stage and then pass around the shoulders b* of the projectile. They then enter the chamber of the second stage, and so on, iinally escaping into the barrel of the cannon. rfhe arrangement is moreover such that the gases which have impinged againstthe base and have passed around the surface, continue to flow through `the chambers and between the shoulders and the projectile without shock and without any throttling action. lV ith vthe construction just described, the gases escape into the atmosphere without any` danger of them accumulating in the body of the cannon, and they become rapidly expanded, since during their circulation around the projectile, they have a greater velocity than this latter. A greater proportion of the power generated and stored up during expansion is utilized, the amount depending upon the length and thickness ot'the tube as. With this construction a projectile may be thrown to a very considerable distance. I

The cannon just described is not usually provided with rifiings, although in the construction shown at Fig. l, the bore may be rified. j j

lt is to be understood that the invention is n-ot limitedto -theparticular constructions which have been described, but that modifiy cations may be introduced, within the scope of the claims without departing from the principles of the said invention.

In place of using an explosive to throw the projectile, /I may use the ballistic power of any suitable fluid of an elastic nature under pressure,'such as gas, vapour, or liquid, and thaththese may be used separately or in combination.

I am aware that it has been already proposed to provide a chamber in the body of a gun, behind the projectile, into which the gases of explosion enter vin some cases through a nozzle or perfo-'rated diaphragm but with these constructions there has been no provision for the escape of the said gases to the atmosphere through the wall of the cannon, or around the projectile, whilst this latter is still at rest, the result being that upon explosion the chamber Abehind the projectile is instantaneously filled with gases under pressure and that such gases only operate in the ordinary well known manner and not in the manner essential for obtaining the results contemplated by my present invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, Iideclare that what I claim is l. A cannon having an explosion chamber and a main bore, a nozzle betweenvthe said chamber and the main bore, a chamber located behind the rear portion of the projectile when at rest into which the said nozzle opens and an aperture between the said last mentioned chamber and the outside of the gun for the purposes set forth.

2. A cannon having an explosion chamber and a main bore, a nozzle which converges and then diverges between the said chambe-r and the main bore, a space located behind the rear portion of the projectile When at rest, into which the said nozzle opens, and an aperture between the outside of the gun and the said space, for' the purposes set forth.

3. A cannon having an explosion chamber, a main bore and a passage which converges and then diverges between the eX- plosion chamber and main bore, a plurality of openings in said main bore to the outside arranged to be progressively reached by the propulsion gases and which are adapted to discharge the gases outwardly and rearwardly into the atmosphere.

4. A cannon having an explosion chamber, a main bore and a passageway between said chamber and main bore which first contracts and then expands, and passageways leading rearwardly and outwardly from the main bore from points in the vicinity of the juncture of said irst named passageway with said main bore.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of one subscribing wit- IleSS.

CHARLES ALPHONSE FRANCOIS MAZE dit DELAMARE MAZE. Witness:

VICTOR MARENDOWSKI. 

